Since signing for us at the end of August, you can divide Nick Woltemade’s Newcastle career into two halves.
The first half, he was scoring goals and showing his undeniable talents. He popped up with big goals, linked the play and oozed confidence with every single touch when he was our sole no.9 option.
Then there’s the second half, where the 24-year-old has seen his minutes at striker slashed and is often completely isolated in games, dropping into a midfield role that leaves him ineffective and unable to threaten opposition defences.
With the World Cup on the horizon, some might fear that Woltemade’s hurt his chances of being Germany’s go-to no.9 ahead of the likes of Kai Havertz or Denis Undav.
But manager Julian Nagelsmann has had an interesting take on Woltemade’s Newcastle career so far which gives us a good indication on his immediate future for his country….
Naglesmann: We have faith in Nick Woltemade
Speaking to German outlet Kicker, Naglesmann has tipped Woltemade for future success, and has told the former Stuttgart striker to stay calm and focused despite his current lapse in form.
In a message of support and realism while many in the media pile pressure on the striker, the Germany boss said:
“At Stuttgart, he wasn’t even in the Champions League squad during the first half of last season, then he played a good second half of the season with seven goals.
“That’s not a criticism of Nick. He’s a young player who needs time to develop, as we can now see at Newcastle.”
“That’s why I don’t expect him to score 15 goals at Newcastle [this season] and shoot us to a World Cup title.
“I told him just last week to stay relaxed. We have faith in him.”
Nagelsmann’s words will be no doubt very assuring to Woltemade and those backing him to be on the plane to North America this summer. Having first been called up to Die Mannschaft last year, Woltemade has recorded four goals in eight games.
Out of Germany’s available striker options, only the aforementioned Undav (16) has scored more than Woltemade (11) in all competitions this campaign.
Time to ease criticism on young star?
Woltemade has attracted a lot of criticism from fans and the local media in the past few weeks. Whilst some of it may be justified, as one would should expect our club record attacking signing to contribute more, a lot of it has become almost routine with the big German being a scapegoat for the team’s current run of form.
But if the manager of the German National Team has earmarked a player for future international success, whilst playing him at striker, then this should be the open invitation for Eddie Howe to perhaps reconsider playing Woltemade in attacking midfield rather than being the focal point of the team at striker.
With another huge month ahead for us across each of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, we simply need our striker options to turn up if we want to salvage our season. And until Yoane Wissa and Anthony Gordon find consistent goalscoring form outside of games against minnows like Qarabag, it seems like the right time to entrust Woltemade with being our starting striker once again.
Nick’s being played out of position for some reason best known to Howe and the rest of his team. We brought the lad in as a number 9, and he did well, then he Eddie shuffled the pack and cost us firepower. We then panicked and brought in Elanga and Wissa, neither of whom has shone; I wouldn’t have taken either if he’d come with a packet of tea!
He needs to identify his strongest team and stick with it. We’re down to 13 in the table!! We’re one of the richest clubs on the planet now! 13th is nowhere near good enough.
Get Woltemade back as number 9, from the KO, leave the two donkeys on the bench and let’s try again!
Lindsay Ann Wilkinson(Quote)
Nick’s being played out of position for some reason best known to Howe and the rest of his team. We brought the lad in as a number 9, and he did well, then he Eddie shuffled the pack and cost us firepower. We then panicked and brought in Elanga and Wissa, neither of whom has shone; I wouldn’t have taken either if he’d come with a packet of tea!
He needs to identify his strongest team and stick with it. We’re down to 13 in the table!! We’re one of the richest clubs on the planet now! 13th is nowhere near good enough.
Get Woltemade back as number 9, from the KO, leave the two donkeys on the bench and let’s try again!
Grebey(Quote)
Everybody was at pains to point out he is not a number 9. Currently, he is a waste of a shirt, we might as well play with 10 men as things stand, he is contributing zero- every match! This can’t go on.
davewallace(Quote)
A great player great talent with a failing manager currently at a mid table premier league team.. despite that scenario nick has scored 11 goals .. it’s not Woltemade that’s the problem..,
Mike(Quote)
Mike – are you actually a Newcastle fan? Are you watching the games?
Woltemade has scored 10 goals for Newcastle.
7 in 25 in the league.
1 in 10 in the CL
1 in 5 in the league cup
1 in 2 in the fa cup.
It’s not bad. But it’s certainly not great.
Digging into that further, his last PL goals were in 2025 and when you actually watch the games you spot that by October teams realised how to defend against him and press him. As a result, across 25 games he has only managed 12 shots on target and 11 off target. So less than a shot a game…. Despite this, I actually still enjoy watching him because I like the theoretical idea of how he wants to play the game – he has a lot of intelligence. But his athleticism lets him down in applying it – for example he manages on average 1 dribble per game.
There is sometimes an argument that the system is wrong, or the team aren’t creating. But even when you play him in a creative role in midfield he is largely anonymous as the game flies on around him. Ultimately a team performs when the players perform, not the other way around – and Wolte has done little to prove he is going to drag us back up the league.
It’s a shame but it is what it is. I hope a combination of confidence, tactics and an incredible physical transformation in pre-season changes things and my current assessment is proven wrong. But I really don’t see enough building blocks there to suggest that’s going to happen.
Howe the toon(Quote)